Stranded
by Josh Hill-Riordan Avenger
Summary: Dan and Natalie have been paired up for a team race, and as you can expect, Dan and Natalie are NOT happy about that. But what happens when the 2 are left alone? Note: On Hiatus
1. Rude Awakening

**_A/N:___**** I don't own the 39 Clues. If I did, there would be a LOT more Natan and Hamead. Not so much Amian. This is my first** fanfic, so please read and review!

**_Dan's POV_**

Chapter 1

The alarm went off at 5:30 AM. My summer vacation had started three weeks ago, but I hadn't been able to enjoy it, because Amy had already planned out I entire summer break, right from when I wake up to when I get to use the bathroom! Control freak much?

So anyway, today is the day I finally get to take a break from all the code-breaking, ju-jitsu, and lock-picking. Amy hasn't told me what I'm going to do, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be great!


	2. Breakfast

_**A/N: I don't own the 39 clues. Also, thanks to AmainNatan4Ever for reviewing. I know in the last chapter I said I'd only update if I got 5 reviews or more, but I just feel super PUMPED! So, as a reward, I'll update now! Remember, more reviews=more updates!**_

_**Dan's POV**_

"WHAT?!" Nat and I literally exploded! And judging by Ian's smirk, I'm guessing he told Amy to pair us up.

"Come now, why are you two so angry? You should be happy!" Ian says, with obviously WAY too much fake-cheeriness.

"Happy? HAPPY? I have just found out that I have been paired up with the SHE-COBRA. I"M SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPY ABOUT THAT?!"

"For the first time in my life, I agree with the stupid American git."

"Well, that's a first." Hamilton snickers as he leaves the room.

At that moment, I knew I had to do something. So, I grabbed the nearest thing available, which was the seat cushion, and threw it at Ham. But I wasn't afraid about what he would do to me. I was ready for anything. Except for going on that race with Nat.


	3. Does Nat like Dan?

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the 39 Clues(but I know 34 of them). Sorry I don't update regularly, but my family's kinda busy looking round town for furniture. I promise I'll try to update when I can, but no promises!**_

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**_Nat's POV_**

It has been two days since I learned Dan will be my partner for this "bonding exercise" that Amy (and Ian, obviously) had devised. It was so obvious, I should have seen it coming. When we had to eat out the other night because Nellie came down with the flu, Amy made me sit next to Daniel. And when we went to the ice cream parlor across the street, Ian made me hold Daniel's hand. He said it was to keep me safe. Yeah right. (Oh no, I'm spending too much time with the Cahills. Their American garbage is starting to rub off on me!) If I'm truly honest with myself, though, I don't think I should be complaining. It felt nice having Daniel hold my hand...WHAT AM I SAYING? He's FLO!_**(**__**A/N: Book 3, The Sword Thief, people!)**_

" Nat, can I talk to you for a sec?"

Wow. I was just thinking about Daniel and then he's knocking on my door, asking if he can come in. Ooh! Now I'm going to think about One Direction!

"Well, are you not talking to me right now?" I reply.

"Nat." He says, with obvious annoyance in his voice.

"Fine. Yes, Daniel, you can come in and talk to me."

He walks in, sits down on my bed, looks me straight in the eye, and says, "Nat, since we both know that Amy and Ian had decided we'd be together for this 'exercise', can we just please them for now and agree to not kill each other?"

Oh, why did I have to have feelings for him? It just makes it so much harder to deny him, especially when he looks into my eyes with those beautiful jade green, wait, WHAT AM I SAYING?(Wow. Second time today.)

He must have seen my facial expressions, because seemed, how should I put this, concerned.

"Nat, are you okay?" he asks

"Yeah, I'm fine. Now, are you done? I'd like to put my make-up on now."

He looks at me like he doesn't really believe me. "Okay then. Glad that's settled. Oh, and after you put on your make-up, if you want to argue, I'll be in the games room playing Ninja Gaiden."

"That's SO like you, Dan." I say.

He looks at me like I'm crazy. It feels a little uncomfortable.

"What are you doing?" I ask uncertainly.

He smiles and says, "You called me Dan."

"So?"

"You always call me Daniel."

"Could you please just LEAVE?"

"Alright, alright, I'm going!" He says, in mock surrender. "If you need me, I'll be in the-"

"Yes, yes, you'll be in the den playing Ninja Garden."

Dan gasped in horror. "It's Ninja GAIDEN, not Ninja GARDEN!"

"Whatever! Just leave me alone so I can put on my make-up!"

"And you can't do it with me right here, why?"

He got his answer in the form of my pillow hitting him in the face.

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_**A/N: This is by far my longest chapter yet, so it took some time to write. Again, sorry for not updating regularly, but my computer is SO slow, my dad won't get us a new one, AND we're moving in a few weeks, so I can only update when I'm at my grandma's house. And even THEN I might not be able to because her Wi-Fi is REALLY unpredictable! A special shout-out in this chapter to demigod39cluesfan! Her story, unfortunate(or fortunate?)Cahill kidnappings, is HILARIOUS! I also got the FLO part from her other story, Memory**** Problems****. Please R&R! Have a cookie! (::)**_


	4. The Question

_**A/N: I don't own the 39 Clues. This might not be my best chapter, so I'll allow flames this time. But, please, keep the flames down low, or I'll melt!**_

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_**Dan's POV**_

That was...weird. Nat seemed like she was happy to see me, then seemed like she wanted to kill me. I think I'll ask Nellie why Nat's acting so weird. I found her in the kitchen, cooking some exotic food. Carribean, maybe?

"What is that? It smells delicious!" I ask

She didn't answer. She was too busy listening to whatever song she was listening to.

"YOU DON"T KNOW-OH-OH, YOU DON"T KNOW YOU"RE BEAUTIFUL!" she sang

Wait, isn't that 1D? I thought Nellie had better taste the that! (Don't ask me how I know their songs, because I'm telling you right now. Nat forces me to listen to them whenever the radio's on. And with my photographic memory, it just makes it harder to forget them.)

I tap her on her shoulder. She turned around and said, "Hey Kiddo! What's up?"

"First, you're making 1D sound much better than before (I'm implying her singing was awful), and second, you know how I just went to talk to Nat?"

"Yeah, and my singing is NOT horrible!"

"Yeah, well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, isn't it? And anyway, at first, Nat seemed like she WANTED to see me, but then she started acting like she wanted me to get out. What's up with that? Is it some girly thing to be bi-polar over something?"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I can tell that she's dealing with a classic case of feeling denial."

"Huh?"

The next words that came out of Nellie's mouth hit me like a sack of bricks. (I should know. I've been hit by a sack of bricks before. IT HURTS.)

"What I mean, Dan, is", she pauses, looks me straight in the eye with-was that a smirk?-and says," She likes you."

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_**A/N: Wow. Second chapter today. I'm on a roll! Oh, and before I forget, I have a reader's choice question for you guys.**_

_**Which of these Marvel Superheroes is your favorite:**_

_**-Iron Man**_

_**-Spiderman**_

_**-Thor**_

_**-Hulk**_

_**The first superhero to get 5 votes is the one I will use in the next chapter.**_

_**That's all for now! Do I really need to say read and review?**_

**_-J. Cahill_**


	5. Dan's Reaction

_**A/N:And the results are in! The winner is...Iron Man! Even though he got only three votes, he's still head of the pack! Thor, with one (unofficial) vote, came second, with Spider-Man in third place. HOW COULD YOU DO THIS? I LOVE SPIDER-MAN! Oops. Got a little carried away there. Have a cookie!(::)**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I don't own the 39 Clues, X-Box, Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief or Marvel Superhero Iron Man.**_

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_**Amy's POV**_

I heard a scream, probably coming from the kitchen. Nellie must be experimenting with food, and Dan probably smelled it, and ran straight for the bathroom. I went to go check it out. Besides, I wanted to get a snack, but I didn't want to get up from the book I was reading. My hypothesis was partly right. Nellie WAS experimenting, Dan HAD gone to the kitchen, but he hadn't run to the toilet the second he smelled the stuff Nellie was making. (Which was kinda surprising, since whatever Nellie was making stank!)

"Is everything okay in here?" I asked, fearing something had happened.

Dan looked too shocked to talk, and Nellie didn't hear me. That isn't the first time. I remember there was this one time the Kabras were flying in, Nellie was supposed to pick them up, but she didn't wake up because she didn't hear hear alarm clock ring, so the Kabras had to commandeer a taxi, Nellie woke up late, she drove like a madman (Which is normal) to the airport-basically the whole morning was super hectic.

"NELLIE!"

"Huh? Oh, sorry kiddo." She smiled sheepishly when she saw how upset I was because she didn't hear me

"One of these days, Nellie, I swear I am going to throw away your iPod." I say.

She gasped in horror, "You wouldn't dare."

"I would. But that's not why I came here. I heard a scream. Is everything alright?"

"Ohhhh, you mean Dan's reaction to me telling him that Nat likes him." Nellie says.

"She WHAT?"

"I know, right?"

That would explain why Dan looks so shocked. I can understand. I know what it feels like to like a Kabra. And to be liked back, well, that's rare. But at the same time, I can see why Dan looks so shocked. He and Nat are, well, enemies. In fact the only time they'd EVER agree to work toghether is when they want to split Ian and me up. Which never works, of course.

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_**Dan's POV**_

I heard what Nellie said, but I couldn't comprehend it. NAT LIKES ME? That actually makes sense. Nat HAS been acting weird around me lately. yesterday, she asked if I was hungry (which I always am). I said I was, then she asked me what I wanted to eat. I said anything would do, so then she actually made ME creme brulee! And it was delicious! Now that I think about it, it was kinda obvious Nat liked me. I'd rather not say this in public, but I knida liked the attention Nat was giving me. Like that time she was scared at the movies. We were watching some horror movie she wanted to see. I think it had something to do with Greek gods. Wait, that's right! It was _Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief_. There was this part where Medusa( You know, the snake-hair lady. Talk about a bad hair day.) was going to stonify Percy and his friends. Nat got so scared, she grabbed my arm and wrapped it around herself. It...wasn't not welcome. In fact, it felt kinda...nice. Wait, WHAT AM I SAYING? SHE'S THE SHE-COBRA! I CAN'T LIKE HER!_**  
**_

Amy must have seen my expressions, because she asked if I was okay.

"Yeah, I'm fine. If you need me, I'll be playing Ninja Gaiden in the den." I always play Ninja Gaiden when I'm confused. Actually, I play it all the time.

"Okay then."

So I'm walk into the den, turn on my X-Box, and grabbed my most prized disc, which has its very own spot. But when I close my hand to grab it, my fingers grab only the air. Hmm. It's not there.

"Amy, where's Ninja Gaiden? It's not where it normally is!"

"How should I know? I don't play it." She says, obviously annoyed.

"I think Nat took it. She said it was to cure you of your ninja obsession." Nellie says. Oh, so NOW she's listening.

"Wait, so if I want to play it, I have to go to Nat's room AGAIN?"

"That would be so." Amy says.

Oh, no. HER room. She kicked me out before, what if she does it again? Man, the things I do for my favorite game. Ninjas, make me strong.


	6. Ninja Gaiden

_**A/N: I don't own the 39 Clues. I know I said I'd use Iron Man in the last chapter, but he just wouldn't fit, but this chapter is better for his appearance. By the way, this chapter is rated T.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the 39 Clues, X-Box, Iron Man, or Apple. But since I'm a Cahill, I'm technically related to Steve Jobs(Ekat), Apple founder.**_

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_**Dan's POV(Again!)**_

Man, Ninja Gaiden has done a lot of great things for me, but this by far, is the greatest. I had gone to Nat's room so I could get my game back. While I was walking there, I was a little unsure of what I should do. Nat kicked me out the last time I was in her room, and that was this morning! And what if she doesn't give me back my game? Oh, no, I'm starting to sound like Amy! There's no more time to worry now, because I'm at her room. I guess the only thing I can do now is knock.

"Daniel, don't come in!"

Oh, Nat's always saying that. I'm just going to go in. The door's not even locked! She's probably doing something girly. But when I push open the door, I can't process what my eyes are seeing. Natalie was in only her panties! No 1,000,000 dollar dresses! Not even a bra! When she saw me standing in the doorway, mouth agape, she immediately curled up so I couldn't see...whatever she was trying to hide.

"DANIEL! I SAID DON'T COME IN!"

"HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW YOU WERE CHANGING? THE DOOR WASN'T EVEN LOCKED!"

"THE F****** DOOR CANNOT LOCK, YOU IMBECILE!"

"WHY DO YOU ALWAYS SWEAR WHEN YOU'RE ANGRY? YOU DON'T HAVE TO SWEAR!"

"IT'S NOT SWEARING, YOU BLOODY GIT, IT'S HOW THE BRITISH EXPRESS ANGER!"

I look at her critizingly. Then a smirk crossed my face. Natalie must have seen that, because she asked, "Why are you smiling? We're supposed to be fighting!"

I laugh and say,"You DO realize you're standing up now, right? And whatever you were trying to hide before is now free for me to see."

She immediately went pale. Funny, I didn't know Cobras had feelings. Okay, I'm just being mean. I know they do.

"It's okay, Nat. I won't tell anyone what I saw, and I'll knock on your door before entering, but you let me have my game back."

"Deal."

"Yes!"

"But-"

"Darn!"

"You have to find it."

"Okay...Anything else I have to do?"

"Nope!"

"So I only have to find it."

"What part of 'You have to find it first' did you not understand?"

"Okay! I'll look for it. But you have to give me a hint first."

"Okay, your hint is: It's somewhere on me."

"But the only thing that's on you is..."

My eyes widened when I realized where Nat hid it.

"NO WAY! I AM NOT DOING...THAT!"

Nat smiled sweetly and said, "Then you're not getting your game back."

"You REALLY want me to touch you there, don't you?" I say.

"Isn't that the name of a Lady Gaga song?"

"It is, isn't it?"

"You know what, Daniel, I have chosen another way for you to get your precious game back."

"First, that was abrupt. Second, HOW?"

"You have to kiss me."

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_**A/N: And done. For the record, Nat is so in love with Dan, she's going a little crazy. The actual race will start soon, so stay tuned!**_


	7. Dear Sophie

_**A/N: I don't own the 39 Clues. So some of you might be wondering why Nat was a little cuckoo in the last chapter, so this is an...explanation, of some sort. In my **_**_defense, this is my first fanfic, so I'm still getting the hang of it. I know the storyline is going against the summary, but I'm leading up to that. If you've read this far, I also need ideas for my other story, __New Life__. Read and review!_**

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**_Nat's POV_**

I crept silently into the den. Normally, I wouldn't be here. But then again, I also wouldn't normally be stealing Dan's favorite game. What is it with him and ninjas? If you ask me, ninjas are just peasants who love jumping around in shadows. And the way they dress! You're supposed to be protecting your city or township or whatever, not going trick or treating!

Anyway, I was in the den. I expected to see the television off, but instead I saw Dan. Playing, well, whatever he was playing. The man he was controlling looked like he was a red-and-gold robot._**(A/N: The game in question is Iron Man 2)**_

"Daniel! Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"Uh...Shouldn't you?"

"I just came down to get a drink of water, Daniel."

"No you didn't." He says quickly.

"How would you know?" I ask, looking like an interrogator.

He smiles, points to the other end of the house and says, "The kitchen is that way."

"Fine. You caught me. I didn't come down here to get a drink. I came to pick something up." I say, while walking over to my make-up bag, which I had left there earlier that day. What Daniel didn't know, however, is that when I stopped to pick up my bag, I also grabbed his precious game.

"Goodnight, Daniel." I say, coldly.

He retaliated by saying, "Night, Princess." I hate it when he calls me "Princess"!

I started up the stairs, but when I reached the top, I thought,

_"Why am I helping Dan with his ninja obsession?" _My mind quickly came up with the answer: _"Because it's really annoying to anyone else!"_

_"Well, why am I doing it? Couldn't Ian or Amy or anyone else have done it?" _Again, my mind had the answer instantly: _"Because nobody else cares about Dan's ninja obsession."_

_"So I'm the only person who CARES about Dan?" _This time, though, I couldn't think of an answer to that. _"Uh..I didn't say that!"_

So, I did what I always did when I was confused. I Skyped Sophie Watson, my best friend in school since the clue hunt ended.

"Nat, could you hold on for a sec? I need to finish my homework." She said.

"Oh, go ahead. I'm not in a rush anyway. I just had a question."

"Oh, really?" She says. That's why Sophie's my best friend. I know whenever I have a problem, I can count on her advice. I should get Amy to make her a Madrigal. "Well, I always have time to help. Shoot."

"Shoot?"

"It means go ahead." She says.

"Well, there's this boy."

"Oh, I get it. He's a 'peasant' or something. You like him but you're afraid of your feelings."

"How did you know?"

"Oh, please. You know how I got hired for the local newspaper's advice column? People e-mail me their problems, I tell them how to deal with it. Your problem is very common among girls your age. As you can see, I'm very good at my job."

"You ARE good! Now, back to my problem?"

"Oh, sorry! There's nothing wrong with liking someone, Nat."

"I KNOW. But the boy I like is totally ninja-obsessed!"

"OH MY GOSH NAT! YOU LIKE DAN!"

"What? That's not true! What hat did you pull that out of?"

"It's simple, Nat. At school, none of the boys who you are friends with are ninja-obsessed. At Dan's house, which is your current residence, there's only one person who's ninja-obsessed! And that is..."

"Dan. You're right. I DO like Dan. But could we keep this a secret? PLEASE?"

"Okay, Nat. Never let it be said I'm not a good friend or that I stab people in the back. Just one question."

"Yes?"

"Does Dan like you back?"

"Uh...I don't think so."

"Oh...then we'll have to change that. Listen closely." Then she told me her plan to get Dan to like me._**(A/N: This is why Nat was acting really crazy in the last chapter)**_

"You sure this will work? I mean, this feels a little weird."

"Relax, Nat. It'll do the trick."

"Okay, then. Goodnight, Sophie."

"Goodnight, Nat." She said before she logged off.

I found myself staring at the area where Sophie's face was seconds before. Why was I doing this? Dan wouldn't ever like me. I'd done too many things to hurt him. He would never forgive me. He couldn't. I almost KILLED him, for crying out loud!

What is wrong with me? Am I really in love with Dan?

Yes, I am.

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_**A/N: And done! I hope this explains why Nat was a little crazy in the last chapter. Read and review!**_

**_-J. Cahill_**


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